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Light availability and light demand of plants shape the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in their roots
Author(s) -
Neuenkamp Lena,
Zobel Martin,
Koorem Kadri,
Jairus Teele,
Davison John,
Öpik Maarja,
Vasar Martti,
Moora Mari
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13656
Subject(s) - biology , arbuscular mycorrhizal , nutrient , botany , symbiosis , grassland , arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi , ecological niche , mycorrhizal fungi , ecology , niche , fungal diversity , agronomy , horticulture , habitat , genetics , bacteria , inoculation
Plants involved in the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis trade photosynthetically derived carbon for fungal‐provided soil nutrients. However, little is known about how plant light demand and ambient light conditions influence root‐associating AM fungal communities. We conducted a manipulative field experiment to test whether plants’ shade‐tolerance influences their root AM fungal communities in open and shaded grassland sites. We found similar light‐dependent shifts in AM fungal community structure for experimental bait plant roots and the surrounding soil. Yet, deviation from the surrounding soil towards lower AM fungal beta‐diversity in the roots of shade‐intolerant plants in shade suggested preferential carbon allocation to specific AM fungi in conditions where plant‐assimilated carbon available to fungi was limited. We conclude that favourable environmental conditions widen the plant biotic niche, as demonstrated here with optimal light availability reducing plants’ selectivity for specific AM fungi, and promote compatibility with a larger number of AM fungal taxa.